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Has the Red Drum Population in the Gulf of Mexico Recovered Following Deepwater Horizon?
Organization(s):Christian Colliegiate Academy
Country:United States of America
Student(s):Jakobey Johnson, Devin Lowe, Simcha McGee, Melissa Vereker, Lillian Wallace
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Teacher:Mark Hepler
Contributors:
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Air Temperature, Barometric Pressure, Clouds, Alkalinity, Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Salinity, Water Temperature
Presentation Poster:
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Language(s):English
Date Submitted:03/17/2021
In 2010 The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico caused widespread damage to the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem (White et al., 2017). The Red Drum fish population had been thriving before the spill. Following the spill, scientists found that fish exposed to oil showed stunted growth, enlarged livers, changes in the heart and lungs, fin erosion, and impairment in reproduction (NOAA, n.d.). Oil exposure can also affect baby fish whether a lethal and sublethal amount of oil. When affected by oil, even if it is a little bit, the fish is unsafe for humans to consume (NOAA, n.d.). Oil floating in the water can also affect what fish eat. It can contaminate things like plankton, algae, fish eggs, and larvae of various invertebrates. If these species are affected and consumed by fish, the fish will also be affected by the oil that is on their food or by the direct toxic effects of the oil. The same thing would happen to humans if we consumed fish with oil in or on them (NOAA, n.d.). GLOBE hydrology data helped to show how resilient The Gulf of Mexico is. It is important to remember that human harm could change that someday. Further research is needed and a better statistical analysis of the existing data to fully understand the impact on the Red Drum population and how long it will take the fish to fully recover. Our findings show that humans can be poor stewards of the environment and are not respecting and obeying God’s command to take care of the earth.